International Inheritance Laws: What US Residents Need to Know
Different countries have different rules about who inherits, how much they inherit, and the taxes and formalities involved. Extra planning steps are often required both at home and abroad to harmonize your plan across borders and avoid any unexpected inheritance or tax issues.
Homestead Exemptions and Estate Planning
Almost every state has some form of homestead exemption law primarily focused on reducing property taxes and protecting home equity from creditors. While the best-known homestead law is rooted in the nineteenth century’s westward expansion, the underlying principle—a secure home for families—has evolved into a variety of state-level property protections.
Protect Your Estate from Cyberthreats
Well, that doesn’t seem right. It usually starts with something small. A strange email from a bank you do not recognize. A new credit card account you do not remember […]
Secure Your Digital Wallet: Cryptocurrency and Your Estate Plan
In 2013, British IT worker James Howells accidentally threw away a hard drive while cleaning his house. Only later did he realize that it held the private key to 8,000 […]
Do Not Let Your Digital Life Die with You
Today, so much of what once existed in material form now lives entirely online. Our photos, finances, business operations, and even our identities are stored on devices and platforms and […]
Estate Plans Age Too: How to Keep Yours Fresh and Effective
While estate plans are designed to have some flexibility, they are created at a specific moment in time and need updating as your life changes. If your plan has not kept up with your life, it could fail when you need it most or perform differently than intended.
Backup Plans Are Loving Too: Why You Need Contingent Agents and Guardians
Progressive Insurance recently rolled out a series of commercials featuring “backup” quarterbacks stepping in to handle everyday challenges, such as ordering food, giving advice, and even parking a trailer. After […]
The Hidden Burden: What It Really Means to be an Executor, Trustee, or Agent under a Power of Attorney
An 80-year-old widower relied on his adult daughter for help with his daily life and finances for more than a decade. During that time, she managed his finances under a […]
Your Future Caregivers May Not Be Who You Think They Are
Experts warn of a growing national crisis unrelated to politics, the economy, or the usual headline grabbers. It is a caregiving crisis, and it now touches nearly one-fourth of American […]
Foster Children in an Estate Plan
An estate plan can ensure that a foster child is legally protected and provided for on your terms. With it, you can ensure that your foster child is yours in the eyes of the law every bit as much as in your heart.